Don't Read Into It
by Escuro de la Lus
Summary: Dedicated to Nek0-chan and Sakura-chan:: Yami Bakura muses after Ryou recovers from an illness and Ryou helps him clear his thoughts. {Shounen Ai:B&R}


Disclaimer: I own nothing but the comp I'm writing with. *grabs Elock* He's MINE!  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Speech: "blah"  
  
Thoughts: 'blah'  
  
Yami to Hikari (Mind-speak): //blah//  
  
Hikari to Yami: /blah/  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Don't read into it..."  
  
Yami no Bakura's voice had wavered when he spoke. It was slight but he caught it. He was surprised to say the least. Never in his time with the cold-hearted spirit had he witnessed him waver in anything. Whether it was a life-altering decision or facing a difficult opponent, Yami Bakura never wavered. The fact that he did now was mind-boggling.  
  
But like the spirit had told him too, he didn't read into it...much. His head felt weighted down and his entire body felt numb. He regained some feeling when warm arms wrapped around his huddled form...the warm arms of his darkness. That strange action was enough to send his head into a spin.  
  
Sensing the confusion through their mental link, the spirit spoke, "I'm only doing this so you don't freeze. If you die, I die and I can't have that happening now can I? Understand that."  
  
Of course...his Yami only needed him to live. He forgot about that...  
  
He was drifting off. He couldn't lose consciousness...not here. "Stay awake, you hear me? I sent out a signal through the ring...The Pharaoh and his brat should be here soon...Just stay awake for a little while longer."  
  
He had come up to the mountains with Yugi and the gang for some fun. Bakura had protested at first, hating the cold and anything remotely related to it, but eventually gave in when the Pharaoh began to get involved. The trip was nice the first few days and he hadn't heard one peep from his Yami since they had left. Things were really going great...at least until he decided to go off on a walk alone.  
  
The mountains were beautiful but the weather was chilly and while exploring the area around the cabin they were staying in, he had lost his way. He tried calling from help but it was as if he were alone. When the cold numbed his senses he stopped walking and huddled against the stump of a nearby tree. It had started to snow soon afterward which only served to worsen the situation.  
  
His Yami quickly awoke when the numbness spread throughout him. Now he was here, barely awake and body still frozen, with his Yami's arms around him. He was still so confused...but his head hurt so he relaxed an concentrated on his Yami, who had been mumbling to himself the whole time.  
  
"...Damn Pharaoh...The hell is he...Stupid girly host...Damn cold...stupid snow..."  
  
Ryou would have giggled if he had he strength too. It was so amusing to see his Yami act this way.  
  
Glancing down into half-lidded brown eyes, Yami Bakura glared and tightened his hold. "Stay. Awake."  
  
Opening his eyes a fraction wider, he tried to obey his Yami's orders. It was getting more difficult by the second though. Despite the added body heat his Yami had provided without complaint, he could sense that he was growing cold too. Snowflakes fell on his face, stinging his cheeks with the freezing sensation. It wouldn't be long before his Yami submitted to the cold too.  
  
His mind had yet to clear but Ryou sensed the concern his Yami held for him, albeit small compared to the anger he felt now. Snuggling himself deeper into the darker one's chest Ryou could only smile when the arms around him tightened.  
  
Again, sensing Ryou's thoughts, the former thief spoke up. "It's only for heat, Weakling. Don't think I'm getting soft."  
  
Ryou gave no response. Curious, Bakura tilted the boy's head and saw him asleep. Angered and panicked at the same time he shook the boy roughly. "I told you to stay awake!"  
  
Ryou remained limp in the darker one's arms.  
  
Panic overtaking the anger, Bakura checked the boy's pulse. Feeling the rhythmic thumps, albeit weak, calmed him marginally.  
  
Before he could inspect the boy further a familiar voice was heard in the distance.  
  
"Bakura! Where are you?"  
  
For once he was glad the Pharaoh's Brat was around.  
  
"Over here! Quickly!"  
  
~~**~~  
  
"Hmm..."  
  
Bakura turned at the sound and saw drowsy brown eyes open slowly. The brown eyes slowly focused on him.  
  
"'Kura? Is that you?"  
  
Bakura snorted. "No, it's the Easter Bunny."  
  
Completely bypassing the sarcasm Ryou let out a yawn. "What happened...?"  
  
Bakura moved from his seat by the window and sat on the edge of the bed. Ryou drew his legs in to give the yami more room but the other didn't seem to care.  
  
"You've been out for 3 days. You had a bad fever and we were afraid you wouldn't wake up." As if realizing what he said the yami added on, "Don't read into it. You were sick and if anything happened to you my plans would be ruined."  
  
The yami was caught off guard when a warm weight settled on to his back and thin arms wrapped themselves around his waist.  
  
Ryou buried his face into the dark one's back. "Thanks for caring anyway..."  
  
Bakura didn't reply or make a move to shove the boy off. He had already received a warning from the Pharaoh about hurting him. And with Ryou in this weakened state, he knew the slightest push would cause him pain.  
  
The Hikari knew his Yami was being cautious...and it hurt to know he felt nothing toward him...but it was so nice to pretend that he did...even if it was just for a moment.  
  
Pulling away, he slid back to his pillow and buried himself under the covers. /I'm tired Yami...Could you please leave? /  
  
Despite his attempt to make the other leave, Bakura stayed. //You're lying. You've been asleep for three days. There's no way you could be 'tired'//  
  
/.../  
  
Bakura glared at the lump under the covers. His Hikari chose the wrong moment to lie to him.  
  
Placing his hand where he presumed Ryou's hip would be, he grabbed a fistful of the sheet and pulled on it roughly.  
  
Ryou bit his lip in order to restrain the whimper that had threatened to escape his lips. The sudden cool air against his skin sent shivers down his spine and he hated the tingly feeling. Playing with the gold dangles on the Millennium Ring he continued to ignore his yami, even when the Ring Spirit sat next to him on the large bed.  
  
"You're pathetic, you know." Bakura glared at his light's back, knowing he had gained his attention when his shoulders tensed.  
  
"You're a weak, sensitive, naïve little thing. So easy to hurt and manipulate," he studied the boy as he spoke, looking for reactions, "So very easy..."  
  
Ryou listened quietly; both hurt by the dark's words and intrigued by what he was trying to tell him.  
  
Bakura continued, letting his hand play with a spike of Ryou's hair. "You've never done anything truly evil in your life. Therefore you can be labeled innocent..." he paused, eyes glazing over slightly in thought, "But through my control your hands have been stained enough to mark you as one of the tainted. A dark being like myself..."  
  
Ryou turned his body around to face his Yami. Curious brown eyes and emotionless ones met for a few moments before the darker of the two broke the gaze.  
  
"I believe myself to be the embodiment of darkness...the killer of all things good and pure," he let himself glance at Ryou briefly, "Yet I have you...a light of the world...one of the few pure beings left on this miserable planet."  
  
Ryou blinked as he felt his cheeks flush slightly. What exactly what Bakura trying to say?  
  
Studying the other's face, he continued, "As the dark, I am required to protect the light at all costs...I never really did follow that requirement, did I?" his eyes traveled to the long scar that ran down Ryou's upper arm before continuing, "When you blacked out a few days ago I felt I had lost you...and I was...worried...because if I lost you I would truly be what I believed myself to be awhile ago. I would become the darkness and my life would lose its meaning. My mind would be lost and I would never find a true purpose to exist until I found another light...another host."  
  
Ryou was now sitting up and watching his darker half speak. Bakura had his eyes closed now; speaking as if no one was there. Ryou was in a trance. Bakura had never spoken more than a few choice comments while speaking with him. Hearing him speak for so long was a shock.  
  
Bakura opened his eyes slightly, staring at Ryou with an unfamiliar look, "I thought I'd be ecstatic to be rid of you and your morals...but for some unfathomable reason I don't."  
  
Ryou looked away smiling slightly. 'Baka...Just admit you care about me...even if it's just a little.'  
  
Bakura watched his Hikari with unfocused eyes, thoughts clashing in his mind. Ryou turned back toward his yami, a small amused smile still gracing his effeminate lips.  
  
"You know...you didn't have to say all that." Bakura focused his eyes on Ryou, his train of thought broken by the soft accented voice. "You were making it seem so complicated."  
  
Bakura blinked, thoroughly confused and Ryou couldn't help but let out a short laugh. Feeling his other's glare, he smiled and continued. "A simple 'I care about you' would've been nice."  
  
Bakura's eyes narrowed further. "I do not care about you."  
  
Ryou suppressed a giggle and leaned back against the headboard, eyes closed contently. "Of course, Yami. Anything you say."  
  
Bakura growled bringing himself nose to nose with the younger boy. "I don't."  
  
Ryou opened his eyes and his smile widened. Bakura realized how close he was to the boy and was about to move away when Ryou placed his lips against his own.  
  
It was a quick kiss. Just a brief brushing of lips...but it was enough to leave Bakura breathless. Ryou, still smiling, wrapped his arm hesitantly around his other's neck.  
  
"You do."  
  
~OWARI~  
  
Escuro: ^___^ I enjoyed writing this so~ much! XD It's just so hard to find good B/R stories anymore...I feel like I've read them all! In my desperate quest for some B/R I wrote one of my own! This story is dedicated to my friend Sakura-Chan and the fan fiction goddess Nek0-chan. For Saku because she would beat me up if I didn't finish by today and for Nek0 because she reviewed my B/R story 'Things I'll Never Say' and liked it. *faints* I still can't believe she bothered to review it! X3  
  
Yami: Um...yeah...review.  
  
Escuro: Ah yes! Reviews! Reviews make me happy! ^__^ Please review and tell me what you think! I'd really appreciate it! Ja!  
  
Yami: Ja! 


End file.
